Louisville's Kevin Ware, left, and Connecticut's Shabazz Napier scramble for a loose ball during the second half their NCAA college basketball game in Hartford, Conn., Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. Louisville won

Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier drives the lane as Notre Dame forward Garrick Sherman defends in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in South Bend, Ind. Connecticut won 65-58 as Napier lead all scorers with 19 points. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier drives the lane as Notre Dame forward Garrick Sherman defends in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, in South Bend, Ind. Connecticut

Connecticut's Shabazz Napier looks to pass during the first half of Connecticut's 73-62 victory over Stony Brook in an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Nappier scored a game-high 19 in the victory. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Connecticut's Shabazz Napier looks to pass during the first half of Connecticut's 73-62 victory over Stony Brook in an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Nappier scored a

PITTSBURGH -- The cap on a difficult three-game stretch comes with an unexpected wrinkle: Shabazz Napier, as valuable as any point guard can be, is dealing with a left shoulder contusion suffered Monday versus Louisville. His availability for Saturday afternoon's tilt at Pittsburgh (noon, ESPN2), is in question.

"I hope (I can play)," Napier said following Thursday's practice in Storrs. "I really hope so. I don't really plan on missing any games. I've played through a whole bunch of injuries in my life, especially (at UConn). I'm blessed enough for (the injury) not to be in my shooting arm. I've got to fight through to help my teammates out."

Napier, averaging a team-high 17.1 points to go with 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals, practiced Friday with "some discomfort," according to the UConn athletic department. He's listed as a game-time decision.

If Napier can't go, the Huskies' make-up undergoes a drastic change: Niels Giffey likely moves into the starting lineup as the small forward and freshman Omar Calhoun, who poured in 20 points against Louisville, slides to shooting guard. Calhoun shot the ball well Monday, but struggled handling it against the Cardinals' ball pressure. He committed six turnovers, many of which were unforced, he said.

"They're going to challenge him to be ball-tough," said UConn coach Kevin Ollie. "Every time he puts the ball down they're going to challenge him. We'll have a chance to see if he's improved on that this week."

After three straight duds to open Big East play, Calhoun played with "purpose," as Ollie said, and didn't settle for spot-up jumpshots. With Napier less than 100 percent, it seems the talented 6-foot-5 freshman will have to create offense -- not just sit and wait on the wing -- against Pitt.

"I'm trying to show more of my game," Calhoun said. "We have two guards who are quick and get to the rim and things like that, so my job on the team is really to spot up. But in certain cases, I try to get to the rim because I can do more than shoot."

Pittsburgh (14-4, 2-3 Big East) has a valuable guard of its own: Tray Woodall, a 6-foot senior, ranks second on the team in scoring (10.6 points) and leads the way in assists (5.6). Overall, Pitt ranks sixth in the nation in assists per game (17.9) and 12th in field goal percentage (49.3 percent).

After beginning the year in the top 25, Pitt -- a loser in three of five Big East games -- has dropped out of the rankings. Like most of the league, the Panthers have been wildly unpredictable: They dropped a road game at lowly Rutgers, and then responded with a 73-45 romp of then-No. 19 Georgetown. Jamie Dixon's squad doesn't have the dominant big men it usually does -- no DeJuan Blair or Aaron Gray here -- but there's still a stable of reliable post players. Steven Adams, a 7-foot freshman, is coming into his own, and 6-foot-9, 230-pound junior Talib Zanna averages a team-high 12.1 points while connecting on 59 percent of his field goals.

"Our big men took a step back (against Louisville), but they're going to take a step forward," Ollie said. "We still believe in them, and they know that."

Of course, the Panthers have the renowned "Oakland Zoo" on their side, too. Among the league's most hostile fan sections, the "Zoo" hasn't been kind to UConn, which hasn't won at Pittsburgh since 2005. Calhoun, heavily recruited by Pitt, recalled his visit to the campus.

"Oh yeah, the Oakland Zoo," he said. "That's one of the craziest environments I've seen. Any good player would love to play in the environment with fans going crazy against them. That's what we live for. It's why you work hard."